What a Year of Publishing Taught Me About Growth and Churn
One year of newsletter growth lessons from 131 posts
This month marks one year since I started publishing Your Visibility Edge. I’ve shared 131 posts, reached more than 41,000 views, and welcomed hundreds of new subscribers. Along the way, I also lost some readers.
That’s normal. Every newsletter grows and prunes at the same time. The key is learning why some posts spark signups while others push people to hit “unsubscribe.”
I ran a year-end analysis of my posts, and here’s what the data revealed.1
Growth Drivers vs. Churn Drivers
Growth drivers:
Posts that took a clear stance, like Visibility Isn’t Optional or AI SEO Isn’t Optional Anymore, or offered a plan, such as Your Visibility Plan for 2025 or Strategy vs. Tactics, consistently attracted new subscribers. These posts:
Delivered a framework or step-by-step plan
Focused on clarity over complexity
Promised a concrete benefit with words like “plan” or “tactics vs. strategy”
Churn drivers:
Posts that leaned negative or overwhelming, such as “Do you suffer from AI Technostress?” or “Stop Wasting Time Networking,” saw the most unsubscribes. They emphasized stress or complexity without giving readers an easy win.
The takeaway is simple.
Readers stay when they see a clear path forward. They leave when the message feels heavy without help.
It was also interesting to see that some of my most popular posts, like Be the Answer They Click, brought in thousands of views but very few signups. High visibility doesn’t always equal newsletter growth. Without a clear content upgrade or next step, those extra eyeballs don’t convert into subscribers.
What This Means for Future Newsletter Content
Looking at the patterns, a few lessons stand out:
Clarity wins. Posts with a strong stance and a plan outperformed everything else.
Action beats theory. Checklists, frameworks, and step-by-steps convert. Abstract advice does not.
Tone matters. Encouraging, practical posts grew the list. Negative or scolding angles pushed people away.
These are also the same lessons that fuel newsletter growth in the long term.
How You Can Use What I Learned
You don’t need a year’s worth of posts to benefit from this kind of analysis. Even a small dataset tells you a lot if you compare growth and churn side by side. Here’s how to try it yourself:
Track three simple metrics for each post: views, signups, and unsubscribes.
Sort by best and worst net growth. Look for patterns in topic, tone, and format.
Ask two questions:
What do my best posts give that my worst don’t?
How can I reframe churn-prone topics into quick wins?
Double down on proven formats. If frameworks or comparisons convert best, publish more of them.
Tweak and test. Don’t abandon a weak topic; reframe it as a small, actionable system.
This process is one of the simplest ways to get better at newsletter growth.
Tips You Can Apply to Your Newsletter Right Away
Use headlines with a stance like “X Isn’t Optional” or contrast like “Strategy vs. Tactics”
Add a content upgrade to every post, such as a checklist, script, or template.
Reframe heavy topics into light systems, for example, instead of “AI Technostress,” try “20-Minute Calm Setup.”
Poll your readers once a month and share results. This builds engagement and gives you fresh data.
Treat your newsletter as an experiment. Every post is feedback you can use to sharpen your voice.
After a year of publishing, I’ve learned growth doesn’t come from writing more.
It comes from writing clearly, giving readers a path, and offering small wins they can use right away. That’s the edge.
Special Anniversary Offer
To celebrate one year of Your Visibility Edge, I’m offering 50% off an annual subscription until the end of the month.
Subscribe now to get weekly visibility strategies, AI-powered marketing prompts, and access to my list growth course and private chat.
What lessons have you learned from analysing your newsletter data?
I use
’s Substack Control Center tool. I followed his suggestions and prompt in this article to do my analysis.
Thanks for the shout-out, Denise!
I'm glad that you found the new report useful. It was eye-opening when I saw the results for the first time, and I had similar patterns that you so elegantly share in this article.